Monster from New Zealand Swell, 1975

Memorable 1975 south swell lasting from September 20 to 29; the result of a nearshore Baja hurricane swell combining with a cyclone swell originating a few hundred miles northeast of New Zealand. The 1975 West Coast summer surf season had been dreary, and after a weekend of moderate three to four-foot waves—bigger than nearly anything seen in the previous eight weeks—most surfers expected the swell to once again taper off. But on Tuesday, September 23, the waves unexpectedly bumped up to four...